Sharing Web Resources: Week 4

Blog: Sharing Web Resources 6162

 ·         The section that seemed particular relevant to my current professional development would be how the HeadStart Association website provides links for ways one could help others from hunger. Examples of the Summer Feeding Program, lunch and breakfast program, snack program and many other programs that could give me better ideas of how I can provided for these children. Children must be healthy to learn and learn to be healthy!

·         Headstart is at risk of losing funding which could affect the program. As we have talked about in our class it is important for children to have a quality education during the early years of life. The Headstart program is a wonderful program for low income families to help these children become successful later in life

·         Politicians support early childhood and with this program could help many children stay on a successful path. Politicians say they want to improve early childhood programs. Also economist think that it does the economy good if you invest in early childhood education.

·         I did not realize the amount of resources and programs that are available through one program alone. We need to take advantage of the resources we have and grant money that is offered and really use it. Some people do want to spend the time to be able to receive these grants. We just got a grant through our school system for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at snack time for our students. It takes time but there are so many resources out there to help our children with education!

Getting to Know Your International Contacts- Part I

Blog 3: Getting to Know Your International Contacts

I choose to read about China’s Poverty since I have still had no response on my connections from another country.

Some insight that I gained from the website:

·         1.2 million Chinese children live in absolute poverty and 8.7 million live in disadvantaged conditions.  China has made major strides in reducing their poverty.

·         Rural poverty is estimated to have fallen from 250 million in 1978 to 35 million in 2000 and from 30.7 per cent of the population to 3.7 per cent according to official statistics.

·         China's transition from a centrally planned to a globalized market economy has helped reduce chronic poverty and disadvantage, but also created new forms of vulnerability and poverty.

·          The national poverty line is low by international standards, meaning that many more people live close to poverty.

·         98 per cent of children from poor urban families are accessing education, and the majority of poor families said they would not let poverty prevent their children from attending school or entering higher education.

·         I liked how China wants to provide good quality education for all children. It does not matter if the children are in poverty or not.  Much like the US we want our children to have the best education that they can. It should not matter where you come from!

You can find more information at http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

BLOG 2: 6162

Blog2 6162

The organization I choose was National Head Start Association. The website is link

http://www.nhsa.org/

 Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Head Start programs provide a learning environment that supports children's growth in the following domains:

·             language and literacy;

·             cognition and general knowledge;

·             physical development and health;

·             social and emotional development; and

·             approaches to learning.

Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social, and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage

 

Issues:

 Cuts resulting from sequestration are scheduled to occur evenly across defense and non-defense programs, such as Head Start and Early Head Start. There are ongoing efforts to convince Congress to exempt defense spending from the cuts. If they are successful, all $1.2 trillion in cuts will be borne by non-defense spending. This would mean that the Head Start/Early Head Start cuts would be absolutely catastrophic—over 200,000 children lost from the program.

BLOG 6162: Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Blog 1: 6162: Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

It has been a struggle trying to contact other early childhood professionals from around the country. I sent out multiple e-mails in which some were wrong addresses and other people were not responding.  I still have yet to hear from one of the e-mails I have sent. I have a friend that teaches English over in Africa. I contacted her and asked her if she could give me 2 of her friends e-mail and let me contact them. I have sent them an e-mail and waiting to hear back from them. I really want to speak with educators from another country because I think it would be interesting to see what differences there are between our cultures and there’s.

 

 

Blog Assignment 2:

I choose to join National Head Start Association (http://nhsa.org/) because Head Start is a comprehensive program for children from age three to five and their families. The goal of Head Start is to bring about a greater degree of social competence in young children, in particular those of lower-income families. Social competence is defined as a child's everyday effectiveness in dealing with both the present environment and later responsibilities. I feel very strongly about the importance of education in children at an early age.

MY SUPPORTS

MY SUPPORTS

I have a wonderful support system around me. I work in an environment where the goal for everyone is the same…. They want what is best for the kids! We all work every day to help benefit the kids around us. My husband is also my support. When I come home and had a bad day he is always there for me and reminds me why I do what I do! Having the support I do helps create a warm, caring environment for the children. It would be extremely difficult to get through the day without the support that I have. If you don’t work as a team then it will be much harder to create a warming environment. If my support system was not in my life it would be hard for me to stay on my feet. As I have said before my husband is my number one support and if he was not there I would have a very hard time. My children are my support system because I go to work for them. I can’t wait to get home from work to see them.

I have recently moved 3 hours away from my family. I have a new job with a new support system. They have been wonderful and very supportive of me.  My husband and children are now my only support system around me.  As far as my work I have many people that have helped me make this adjustment. It is so important to have your co- workers be supportive and to help have the same goals (to advocate for our children). If I would have started a new job and not had the support that I had it would be more difficult to be positive and create an environment that  would benefit our children the most! I am very new in my job so I have needed a great deal of direction and if I did not have the support from my co workers that I have had I would have a difficult time adjusting!

Childhood Connections to Play

Childhood Connections to Play

Growing up all I did was play, play, and play some more. I remember my parents would have to make me come inside. I wanted to stay outside and play with my friends in the neighborhood all night long. It seems like when I was growing up that is all we knew to do. I hardly ever watched T.V. We were forced to use our imaginations (what children do not have to do anymore). I had the freedom to do whatever as long as I was playing! My parents loved the fact they my sister and I played outside. They encourage us to go outside and play.

Play today seems to be much different. It seems like children can not go outside and play until dark, because fear that someone may take your child. Kids want to watch T.V or play video games, that is their idea of play. It takes the freedom to explore and create games of their own.

            My vision of play for my children, I want them to really enjoy playing and be able to express themselves. I want play to be fun for them. I don’t want my children to sit on the couch all day and play video games. I want them to have an imagination and create their own games.

            Play has always been important in my life and I hope it will always continue to be. Play needs to be for children and adults!

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Plato

“Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.” ~ Abraham Maslow (psychologist)

Reflecting On Building Relationships EDU 6161

I choose my husband and my dad.

It is important to build relationships with other because you know that you always have someone there when you need them. To get through life you need others to help you. Rather it be adivse or someone to cry with, or laugh with. You know that person is always there for you and they know you are always there for them. My parents were always there for me. They made me who I am today. My dad always told me if I am going to do something I better give it 100% and I have always followed that.

Other people that I have positive realtionships with are my mom, sister, and my best friend Barkley.

My husband is one of the most important relationships to me. He has become my best friend. We recently moved about 3 hours from my family, so we have to depend on each other. We have two boys a 2 year old and a 5 week old. The way we maintain positive relationship is we respect each other.

My dad is another relationship that means the world to me. He is the best dad in the world. I know that I can always depend on him. We talk on the phone everyday. If I ever need advice I go to him. I think respecting each other is the key to maintaing healthy/postive relationships.

Some challenges to keeping a positive relationsip is we get busy and tend to forget to call or keep in touch. Another challenge could be difference of opinions.

In both my husband and my dad they are caring, brave and understanding.

I have taken what each of these people have given me in my life and I want to pass it to my two boys. I have a two year old and a 5 week old. I also carry it over in early childhood. I want what is best for the children and I show them compassion and that I am always there for them